One infant left behind in Antwerp’s “foundling drawer” during 2019
The not-for-profit group Moeders voor Moeders says that during 2019 one baby was left at its “foundling draw” in the Antwerp district of Borgerhout. The infant is a boy and he is reported to be good he has been given the (temporary) first name of Johannes.
The boy is not the same child that received media attention last March when he was left behind in the entrance hall of a block of flats. His mother was later traced. She said that she didn’t know that the foundling drawer existed. She will appear in court at a later on charges of child abandonment.
The foundling drawer in Borgerhout has been in existence since 2000. Since then at total of 18 children have been left behind there. 2018 was a record year with 4 babies being left behind in the drawer. Unless the mother contacts them Moeders voor Moeders don’t know where the babies come from or who their parents are.
A mother the that leaves her baby behind in the drawer can (if she wishes) take a piece of a jigsaw puzzle with that can be used to identify her if she wishes to contact Moeders voor Moeders at a later date.
Moeders voor Moeders looks after the babies left behind in the foundling drawer. If after a few weeks the mother has not made contact and adoption procedure is started to find the baby a new family.